Can-opener



Nrrm STATES PATENT OFFICE.

FRANK A. VOGT, OF-ANDERSON, INDIANA.

CAN-OPENER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 486,307, dated November15, 1892.

Application filed June 30, 1892.

' zen of the United States, and a resident of Anderson, in the county ofMadison and State of Indiana, have invented certain new and usefulImprovements in Can-Cutters; and I do declare the following to be afull, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enableothers skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use thesame, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, and to lettersof reference marked thereon, which form a part of this specification.

Figure 1 of. the drawings is a perspective view. Fig. 2 is a top or planview. Fig. 3 is a sectional view on line at.

The object of this invention is to provide a can-cutter of new anduseful construction, whereby it may be used with equal advantage by bothright and left handed persons, said cutter also having the number of itscuttingedges increased; and the invention consists in the novelconstruction and combination of parts, all as hereinafter set forth.

In the accompanying drawings, the letter A designates the handle portionof the cutter, which may be of any convenientor approved design. On thelower end of the shank B of said handle portion are formed the prongs orcutters O O, which are of equal length in parallel position andseparated from each other by a U-shaped interval or recess a. Saidcutters are each of exactly the same form, tapering to a point 19 andground on each edge, as shown at c c, &c., forming four cutting-edges.The inner faces of the cutters are slightly convex or rounded, as is thebottom wall of the recess a, so as to freely slide on the edge of a can.

By forming the inner faces of the blades or prongs convex the tool iscapable of being partially turned or rotated in its cutting path, sothat the cut may be made alonga straight or a curved line, as may bedesired, there being Serial No. 43 8,556- (No model.)

sufficient space between the two prongs to permit this movement. Thecutting-edges are also continued along the edges of the bottom wall ofthe recess, so that the tool will cut when inclined at almost any anglefrom the perpendicular. The outer faces of the blades also presentsmooth rounded surfaces, rounding and tapering off to the shank, so asto form no obstacle to the free movement/of the tool.

It will be apparent that the tool as so constructed may be used withequal facility by both right and left handed persons; also, that thetool is capable of a longer use, owing to the plurality of thecutting-edges, whereby when one becomes useless another may be employed.The cutter lying against the outer wall of the can serves as the guardfor the one which is doing the cutting whenever either one is in use.

Having described this invention, what I claim, and desire to secure byLetters Patent,

The herein-described can-opener, having the two parallel prongs orcutters C O,ground each to a cutting-edge at each edge, said prongs orcutters being separated from each other by a U-shaped interval orrecess, the inner faces of said prongs and the bottom wall of saidrecess being rounded or convex,

'so as to permit the rotation of the tool in cutting and the outer facesof said prongs presenting a smooth surface rounded and tapering to theshank, the cutting-edges of the prongs being continued along the edgesof the bottom wall of said recess and forming a continuous cutter,substantially as specified.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

FRANK A. VOGT. Witnesses:

THOMAS E. ORR, BYRON MOMAHAN.

